Canton Ohio heats up their grills...
As I drove down Interstate 77 on my way to Canton, I wasn't quite sure about tailgating- after all, it's not even a sports town- or so I thought!
I pulled in and visited the NFL Hall of Fame as soon as it opened and then headed over to the Pro Football Ultimate Fan Association charity event. PFUFA invites the kids and fans to the Canton Community Center for a free lunch, some giveaways and a chance to meet all the Ultimate fans from across the country. The kids loved it!
When I pulled up, Smokey and I had to get the grill fired up and the dogs-a-cookin'! After we feed everyone, I journeyed inside to hang with the Superfans and see them in action, face paint, make-up, costumes and all!
From the Packalope to Pantherman to Bernie Hawk to Da Pope and more, they entertained and rallied the community for a great upcoming season.
After the PFUFA festivities, I headed over toward the Hall of Fame, and a tailgate party on the side of a residential street caught my attention, of course!. As I rolled down the window to shout my support, I recognized Kenny AKA Pinto Ron whom I met last year in Buffalo. Yes, this guy is a crazy fan. He has an old Pinto that he grills on and a legendary bowling ball that fans take shots from. (Check out last year's blog on Pinto Ron)
Needless to say, I parked and joined Kenny and the gang at a great pre-enshrinement tailgate. The celebration was in honor of Thurman Thomas, class of 2007! Thanks for the Gate guys, see you this year in Buffalo!!!
As Kenny and the Gang geared up for the HOF Ceremony, I hopped in my cool Kia rental car and headed over to PFUFA's Tailgate Party. When I pulled up for the second tailgate party of the day, it was very odd. I had just come from a Buffalo Bills party, and this one, well, it was every team! I ventured in and it was just like coming home from a long trip. I was welcomed with open arms and overflowing plates of food and drink. I was introduced around and had a "FAN"tastic time with fans from virtually every team in the league. With Ultimate Fans, everything was over the top-- not just thier costumes!
Final call: Great town, great people.
Great tailgaters!
The Commissioner of Tailgating !
I was very honored to be tailgating with Joe Cahn again. He cooked up some of his famous Jambalaya and shared it with all. We spent a few hours tailgating with the Ultimate Fans during the Enshrinement Ceremony Saturday night. Good food, great friends and a collection of Superfans from across the country. You can find Joe Cahn, The Commish, at his website Tailgating.com or at a tailgate party near you!
Photo of the Week!
Cincinnati Ultimate Fan Shawn "Who Dey Baby" Moore, introduced me to all the great fans from Bengals country- and even a few enemies. After a great Gate, we ended the evenings festivities with a shot called a "Green and Gold" at the Packalope's Tailgate made with Apple Pucker and Southern Comfort. Yummy! Thanks for the hospitality!
Who Dey Baby!
See more pictures from Jay's Hall of Fame Weekend in our Scrapbook OntheBlacktop.com!
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